Clarence Clemons: The "Bigman" Behind The Boss

There's a pivotal moment in the action onstage during Bruce Springsteen's latest concert tour. Midway during the performance of "Tenth Avenue Freezeout," Bruce tells the audience a story. In classic Springsteen style, the details aren't always the same, but the point remains consistent.

Springsteen tells of consulting a gypsy woman to find the meaning of life, the light at the end of a dark forest. "Well, Mr. Independent, you need companionship, you need friendship," the gypsy tells Bruce (in those words or something similar).

"You need a band."

So, as the story goes, our young hero goes into the deep forest in search of a band. Along the way he meets Roy Bittan, Steve Van Zandt, Nils Lofgren, Danny Federici, Max Weinberg and Garry Tallent, and in them he finds music, friendship, laughter, support. He even finds Patti Scialfa, his personal "Red Headed Woman," with whom he finds love.

"But there was still something missing," Springsteen tells the audience after each of those band members have been introduced. "Something essential. Something important."

"Something big."

The crowd, as if on cue, yells back in unison. "Clarence!"

Springsteen smiles playfully. "Say what? Say who?" as the audience makes the name into a mantra.

"Clarence! Clarence!" the audience chants as Bruce joyfully dances his way toward the black saxophone player who, indeed, needs no introduction to the crowd of faithful followers. The jig ends as Springsteen reaches his long-time sidekick and resumes the song where he had left off:

"Well the change was made uptown and the Bigman joined the band...."

Clarence Clemons - affectionately called the Bigman by his somewhat diminutive Boss - is arguably the most popular member of Springsteen's legendary E Street Band. In my recent poll Clarence received 41.57% of the vote for "Favorite E Street Band Member," but you don't need numbers to believe in Clemon's popularity with the crowd. Just go to a Bruce concert and listen for the roar each time the saxophone is lifted, the thunder when Clarence steps to the mike to sing his part of "If I Should Fall Behind." And if the roof really could rise off an arena, it would certainly happen at the point when Springsteen and Clemons clasp hands high in friendship and triumph during performances of "Tenth Avenue Freezeout."

Clarence was born on January 11, 1942, in Norfolk, Virginia, the son of a Baptist preacher. "I come from a long line of Southern Baptists. They thought rock 'n' roll was the devil's music," Clemons once said, trying to explain why he didn't join a rock band until he was away at college at Maryland Eastern Shore University.

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